Roll out those Lazy Hazy Crazy Days of Summer
by Minerva Solo
Summary: It's summer, and Aya and Yohji are alone in the shop. Yohji's pining for ice cream, and Aya unexpectedly bends. Shounen ai mainly, fluff, sap, probably some angst (I can't remember!)


Roll out those Lazy, Hazy, Crazy Days of Summer  
  
* A/N: Disclaimer: the usual. Not mine, never will be. A little Aya/Yohji fic. The title is actually a song, but I'll be damned if I could get a fic to fit around it. I have no idea what's going to happen in this, I just happened to be reading a fic about Sakura and Aya-chan in the flower shop on a hot day and the muse came down. Warnings: can't think of much to put here, except yaoi. Fluff, I guess, and a bit of sap, and some shounen ai, but none in really enough quantity to warrant a full warning. It's just a happy little fic about those summer days in the flower shop. *  
  
Yohji stared out through slitted eyes at the flower shop, fanning himself languidly with a palm leaf from one of the displays. It was the height of summer, and the heat was sapping energy from everyone. Well, everyone except Ken, who had gone off to play soccer with his usual energy.  
  
These were the dog days. No, Yohji corrected himself, these were the cat days, judging by the feline stretched out on the deserted pavement in front of their shop. Feet propped on the counter and leaning back on his stool, Yohji contemplated the advantages of nipping out to get an iced frappaccino (sp?) of an ice cream. It was certainly tempting, but a certain redhead would certainly object.  
  
Even the flies were still. No bees buzzed around the flowers, no insects stirred. The streets of Tokyo were almost empty, people preferring to stay inside near the air conditioning in this heat. The shop was empty apart from the two assassins.  
  
Ran was watering the flowers outside with the house, and Yohji couldn't decide if he envied him the job or not. All that nice cool water, but all the stifling hot air. At least here he was near the air conditioner, which was spluttering bouts of less-hot air into the small shop with alarming infrequency.  
  
Perhaps Ran wouldn't object if Yohji offered to get him some cool as well? It was worth a shot. With effort Yohji peeled himself off the sweat-slicked stool and walked through the humid shop.  
  
"Hey, I was thinking of getting a frap, or perhaps an ice cream. Want some?"  
  
"You can't leave during shop hours." Yohji sighed.  
  
"Ran, look around. There's no one here. Even the flies have given up. And I'm offering to actually walk through these baking baka streets to get something cool for both of us. What's your problem?"  
  
"You're not supposed to leave during shop hours." Ran sounded less sure of himself.  
  
"I do a lot of things I'm not supposed to," Yohji snapped, the heat stretching his temper to its limits. "So, you want an ice-cream or what? You can even sit by the air conditioner while I'm gone."  
  
"Do you have any money?"  
  
Yohji stopped. He checked his pockets carefully, and went over in his mind the contents of his wallet. Damn. "Loan me some?" he wheedled.  
  
"You mean you want me to treat you?" Ran glowered at the playboy.  
  
"I'll pay you back. Well, for mine, anyway."  
  
Ran rubbed the sweat from his forehead. It did sound very tempting. He'd had to resist the temptation to turn the hose on himself long enough, and he was certain he was getting dehydrated. There couldn't be any customers, could there? But what if there was, what if the schools decided it was too hot to teach and suddenly he was swarmed by fangirls?  
  
Ran made another half-hearted swipe at the moisture running down his forehead and stared at his wrist. He had a watch on. And the watch said that it was almost feasible for them to take a lunch break. He couldn't believe the morning had gone so slowly that it was only lunch, and he certainly wasn't hungry, but his heart lifted.  
  
"Ten minutes, Yohji."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"We can take our lunch break in ten minutes."  
  
"Finally!" Yohji punched the air, then regretted the burst of energy as his lethargy increased. His shirt was sticking to his back, and Ran wasn't any better off. "God, I'm so tired, and I haven't done anything. This heat really saps it out of you, doesn't it?"  
  
Ran was tempted to say something about how Yohji rarely did anything, but he could appreciate the sentiment. Besides, it was having a similar affect on himself. He blinked as Yohji suddenly leant his head on Ran's shoulder, apparently too worn out to even stand up without support.  
  
"I'm done out here. We should go back in."  
  
"No, noooo! Not that boiling hellhole! We'll fry, Ran, we'll shrivel up like the flowers and wilt."  
  
"You're being melodramatic," Ran frowned. Yohji exhaustedly lifted his head from his teammate's shoulder and stared into the violet eyes.  
  
"Let's just go and get that bloody drink, okay? No one will mind us knocking off a bit early, I assure you." Yohji's voice was hard and tense, as if he'd hit Ran if he disagreed, provided he could summon the energy.  
  
Ran wavered. Then: "Yes. Alright."  
  
Yohji perked up. "Great! Come one!" Grabbing Ran's hand he pulled him across the street. Ran tossed the end of the hose into the shop desperately, and managed to resist Yohji long enough to lock the door. That done, he let himself be tugged down the street, wavy with heat haze.  
  
They sat opposite each other in a small coffee shop, almost empty of other patrons. Yohji slurped unselfconsciously on his iced coffee while Ran frowned at him. The air conditioning was on full tilt, and surrounding buildings cast refreshing shade on the hole-in-the-wall café.  
  
"'S called 'Spill the beans'," Yohji informed Ran. "Great li'l place, almost no one knows it's here. You like?"  
  
Ran nodded, letting Yohji's incessant banter wash over him. The iced coffee tasted wonderful, and he felt no guilt in abandoning the flower shop a little early. Yohji had brought his palm-leaf-fan with him and was using it to gesture to parts of the shop. Ran became aware that Yohji's chatter had run down and realised that Yohji was looking at him expectantly. He nodded again.  
  
"You're not listening to a word I say," Yohji accused.  
  
A faint blush stained Ran's cheeks and he nodded again.  
  
Yohji laughed. "No, see, that was what I just asked, and you nodded! Honestly, Ran, can you pay just a little attention?"  
  
"I've spent so much time trying to ignore you, it's hard to reverse the habit." Yohji looked a little hurt, to Ran's surprise. It was the heat, he decided, emotions were running high.  
  
"Do you bring dates here?" Ran cast about for something to say.  
  
Yohji looked pleased. Ran actually appeared to be taking an interest, albeit a weak one. "No, not really," he told the younger man. "I don't know why not, I mean, it's a wonderful place, but I guess it's just too wonderful. I want to keep it to myself."  
  
"You brought me here," Ran pointed out. His eyes widened as a blush spread across Yohji's tanned cheeks.  
  
They sat in awkward silence for a bit, finishing their drinks and looking for more excuses to stay in the cool café. Eventually Ran looked at his watch and sighed.  
  
"We really ought to be heading back."  
  
"No. I. I refuse. I go on strike. You can't make me! I'm not going back to the godawful heat and humidity. Never!" Ran smiled at Yohji's outburst. The café really was pleasant and he felt no more desire to return than Yohji, but his sense of duty insisted.  
  
A thought occurred to him. "Well, perhaps you don't have to. I don't mind covering the rest of the shift alone. We didn't get a customer all morning, not even the fangirls. You can stay here if it means that much to you."  
  
Yohji stared. Was Ran really offering.? He really was. Yohji was infinitely touched. He was about to take Ran up on the offer when guilt got in the way. He couldn't really leave Ran alone. Besides, they were almost certain to be inundated when the schools let out. And besides, Ran had paid for the drinks, his treat, and had let him bunk off early, and had put up with him arriving two hours late, and, well, was just generally being nice. Yohji found he couldn't bring himself to take advantage of that any more.  
  
"No, I'll come. Can't leave you alone," he mumbled awkwardly. Ran smiled, a rare sight, and Yohji found himself returning it, glad he'd made the right decision.  
  
They ambled back to the flower shop down empty roads and deserted streets. Suddenly the heat didn't seem so bad. Yohji stuck his hands in his pockets and admired Ran from behind as the wandered along in no hurry. It wasn't like the shop was going to go anywhere.  
  
They finally reached the shop and Ran unlocked the door. Yohji felt his feet grow cold. He glanced down as saw water seeping up his trousers. He raised his head to stare at Ran. The younger man was all shades of red.  
  
"You left the hose on," Yohji stated. Ran couldn't say anything. He was absolutely mortified.  
  
Yohji peered around Ran's shoulder at the flooded shop. It was about three inches deep in muddy water, the hose floppy around like an injured snake. Some how the pressure had been turned up since Ran was using it. Luckily, none of the flowers were ruined, though some would require a little work before they could be sold and a few would need discounts.  
  
Suddenly, Yohji pushed Ran into the shop and shut the door firmly behind them, changing the sign from 'closed for lunch' to just plain old 'closed'.  
  
"I. I'll start clearing up." Ran said softly. "I'm sorry, Yohji."  
  
Yohji grinned from behind Ran. As the hose flicked towards them he caught it with one foot and grabbed it, careful to keep the spray aimed away from himself. Ran began to pick his way across the shop to turn off the tap.  
  
"Argh!"  
  
"Waterfight!!!" Yohji yelled triumphantly, having caught Ran between the shoulders with the jet of icy water.  
  
"You, you." Ran spluttered, still being soaked by the stream. Staring desperately around he grabbed an empty pot and scooped up water with it to hurl at Yohji. Yohji gasped as the wave of mucky water hit him in the chest.  
  
"Hey!" Yohji abandoned the hose as Ran turned it off and grabbed a bucket. He upended it over Ran's head, who retaliated by stamping his feet and sending water up Yohji's legs. Yohji kicked water towards Ran and filled his bucket again. Ran used the pot to send another wave of water of Yohji, accidentally letting go of the pot as well and sending Yohji sprawling. Sitting on the shop floor with water covering his legs, Yohji growled playfully. Using his hands he splashed Ran when he came too close, then grabbed him before he could dart away again and pulled the younger assassin down with him.  
  
They tussled on the shop floor, wrestling and splashing each other playfully. The water slowly seeped away under the doors in and out of the shop, but for a long time neither noticed. It wasn't until Yohji went to scoop up some water to throw in Ran's face that they realised the shop was almost dry.  
  
They stared at each other. "If we've flooded the mission room we're dead," Ran voiced both their thoughts.  
  
"Is it just me, or has it finally gotten colder?" Yohji asked, goosebumps rising on his arms, legs and torso.  
  
"Neither. It's evaporation. As our clothes dry we get colder." Yohji frowned. He hadn't wanted a bloody science lesson. "We should get out of these wet clothes."  
  
Yohji pulled his wet t-shirt over his head and froze when he saw the odd look on Ran's face, as mixture of shock and something Yohji couldn't quite put his finger on.  
  
Three things occurred to Yohji. One, when Ran had said 'get out of these wet clothes' he hadn't meant here and now. Two, Ran was directly on top of him. Three, despite having goosebumps over most of his body, technically, on average, he was quite warm. In fact, one area in particular was really quite hot.  
  
Ran was staring at him. Both of their trousers were very wet and Yohji's already tight trousers were clinging to him in interesting ways. Plus, Ran was still straddling him. Ran didn't have to see to know what Yohji's body was thinking.  
  
Ran wondered distractedly how Yohji would explain this. Just too much excitement? The day's heat? He and Asuka had doe something similar?  
  
"I. I didn't mean for you to find out this way," Yohji murmured, blushing and staring at his hands, which were propping both of them up.  
  
Ran's jaw dropped. Did Yohji mean? He grabbed Yohji's chin roughly and brought his head around to stare into Yohji's eyes. Yohji stared back, unashamed.  
  
"I think," Ran said slowly, "that was should go upstairs and get changed."  
  
The look on Yohji's face was one of broken-hearted resignation and acceptance. Of course Ran wouldn't feel the same way. Sometimes Yohji wondered if Ran felt at all. They'd just pretend it had never happened, that this crazy day was no different from any other in they're crazy lives. Yohji would find some girl to take out his woes and frustration on, as he did on any other day, Ran would sit silently in his room thinking about his sister, as he did on any other day.  
  
Ran climbed off of Yohji. He brushed himself down, trying to wring a little water out of his now filthy clothes. Yohji slowly got to his feet and made his way out of the door, not sparing Ran a glance. He heard him following up the stairs; felt him, really, just behind him. So tantalisingly close.  
  
Yohji opened the door to his apartment and stepped inside. He turned to close it and saw with a shock that Ran had followed him in.  
  
"What. why. Huh?" Yohji spluttered.  
  
Ran reached out and slid his hand around Yohji's neck, pulling their bodies together and kicked the door closed with his heel. "Why am I here?" he purred. "To get out of these wet clothes, of course." Yohji smiled broadly as he leant in to share a kiss with the man he'd admired from afar for years.  
  
Later they sprawled across the bed, sheet discarded due to the heat, Yohji resting his head on Ran's neck and sharing those little post coital kisses of affection that sent warm shivers along Yohji's spine. Ran stoked the blonde hair, twining it around his fingers and teasing out a few knots with gentle tenderness.  
  
"It's going to be a warm evening," Yohji commented lazily.  
  
"It's going to be a warm summer." Ran grinned suddenly and shifted position against Yohji. "I guess we're going to have repeat today's water fight to keep cool."  
  
"I'm looking forwards to it!" Yohji nibbled Ran's ear and began singing softly. "Roll out those lazy hazy crazy days of summer, dust off the sun and moon and sing a song of cheer."  
  
* A/N: what do you know, I got a bit of the song in after all. I'd have quoted more, but it had too many American references to be really appropriate (come on, would Yohji and Ran be eating pretzels and weenies and soda?). So there it is, the fic I didn't even know what was going to happen in until I put finger to keyboard. I love being spontaneous sometimes. * 


End file.
